Writing- perks of being a wallflower discussion PDF

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perks of being a wallflower...

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Memory (cognitive)- Charlie’s memory acts as an internal monster that drives him to act accordingly to what he is feeling. The extreme amount of emotion that swells his mind with trauma and regret is spilled throughout his journal passages in the film. For example, we slowly watch as Charlie balances on the edge of insanity which leads him to constantly act impulsively, not always being able to realize when he is sacrificing the feelings of others who surround him. The memories of his aunt who passed away, who we later learn also sexually assaulted Charlie as a child, are daunting enough to lead Charlie to grab the knife after calling his sister. This scene is the climax of the film itself, which slowly draws the picture of how his impulsive personality is lined with unresolved trauma from his past. Memory is the key repressor of Charlie in his life, as he lives in the past, and is seemingly surrounded by flashes of guilt, pain, fear, and loss. Memory dwells and drags Charlie in subtle ways throughout the film, as we see Charlie begin to make more and more impulsive and irresponsible decisions. Charlie’s social habits are awkward and unstable, which is a key clue to how damaged he truly is. Even in the best of moments, like when Charlie found himself kissing Sam, he still drowned himself in flickering montages that were derived from his past. Charlie is the perfect figure of a broken childhood, a balancing act of potent memories and trauma, which all topple down to slowly seep into his adulthood. Social and Emotional- Charlie’s social interactions are fueled by his fear of disappointment and guilt, as he stumbles through every relationship that is present in his life. The key examples of this are clear as he brushes off his family, blocking his parents out, and constantly hiding from them. Charlie even faces this barrier with his sister who tells him to not tell anyone what Derrick was doing to her behind closed doors. This is a constant emotional war between Charlie and his raging emotional outbreaks. His friendships with Sam and Patrick are very unstable at times, especially when Charlie kisses Sam instead of Mary Elizabeth in the game of Truth or Dare. Impulsive constantly drives Charlie to make mistakes in his relationships with his peers. These mistakes overwhelm Charlie with raw emotion that builds over time, and finally breaks like glass in the most pressuring events of his life. His episodes of anxiety outbursts are damaging and dangerous to his mental health as he begins to spiral into his traumatized state of mind once again. Charlie lives in a world of breaking points, as he constantly suppresses truth, identity, and memory from others. Language Development- As the film progresses, we see an improvement in Charlie’s social development as we follow him through his new friendship encounters. At the beginning of the story it is clear that Charlie has no real friends as his social interactions are stiff and awkward, but this slowly changes. Even though his friendships are not always stable, he becomes more comfortable around characters like Sam and Patrick. The first time we as an audience see this side of Charlie is when he goes on as an understudy in Rocky Horror. Charlie isn’t scared in his own skin as he performs a show that is largely revealing in front of an audience as well as enjoying it and asking to do it again. This is a bandage that is ripped off as Charlie no longer lets his emotional state completely take over him, allowing him to become a happier person around his closest companions. He begins to take social leaps, as he adopts a looser state of mind around

people he feels comfortable with him. He spills his feelings and his ideas in moments in distress when he is surrounded by supporting people, allowing him to develop a more comfortable language....